Introduction

Where is the summer rainfall/tablelands and slopes region?

This region has summer-dominant rainfall and cold winters west of the Great Dividing Range, but is warmer in the coastal areas. It covers the Northern Tablelands of NSW extending from Stanthorpe in Queensland to Mudgee in NSW, as well as the NSW coast and hinterland from Sydney to the Queensland border.

The southern edge starts from Sydney and extends north-west through Mudgee and Gulgong to Gilgandra. It then goes west of Coonabarabran, through Narrabri and Texas, then south of Warwick and then along the New South Wales/Queensland border to the coast.

This corresponds with the WormKill (NSW DPI) and Wormbuster (QLD DAFF) regions.

Towns included in this region are Mudgee, Dunedoo, Merriwa, Coolah, Tamworth, Coonabarabran, Narrabri, Gunnedah, Manilla, Barraba, Bingara, Bundarra, Inverell, Warialda, Walcha, Bendemeer, Uralla, Armidale, Guyra, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Texas and Stanthorpe. Coastal towns included are Murwillumbah, Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Muswellbrook, Maitland and their hinterland areas.

These boundaries are approximations only as seasonal temperature and rainfall variations affect worms. A map of the region is shown below.

Figure 1. Map of the Summer rainfall/ Tablelands & slopes region.

What worms are covered in this program?

Roundworms

The most important roundworms in this region:

• Barber’s pole worm Haemonchus contortus
• Scour worms
  • Black scour worm Trichostrongylus colubriformis
  • Small brown stomach worm Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) circumcincta
  • Thin-necked intestinal worm Nematodirus species (only in young sheep)

Less important or only occasionally seen worms:

• Large bowel worm Oesophagostomum venulosum
• Small intestinal worm Cooperia species
• Black scour worm Trichostrongylus vitrinus

Liver fluke

Liver fluke is an internal parasite that occurs in parts of this region depending on the distribution of the intermediate host snail. It can affect sheep severely, sometimes causing deaths.

The life cycle differs from the simple lifecycle of roundworms, so control strategies are different. This program relates to roundworms. To control liver fluke, see Appendices: Further information on sheep worm control for QLD/NSW summer rainfall/ tablelands and slopes.

Other worms

Gastro-intestinal parasites of minor importance, such as stomach fluke and tapeworm, are not covered.